The antidote to ideologies

ERDOGAN & MIGRANT FINES: HAS THE EU GONE COMPLETELY MAD?

Nope. They’re just cornered poodles

The European Commission has proposed reforms to EU asylum rules that would see a financial penalty of €250,000 per migrant not given shelter by EU members.

The UK and Ireland can opt out of asylum policies, and Denmark is also exempt. Everyone else will face the fines for non-compliance – and they are quite clearly aimed at Austria, Poland, Hungary, and other countries with less than fond memories of the Ottoman Empire.

This is going to leave Brussels-am-Berlin facing imminent civil war on at least five fronts: UK Brexit, East European migrant policy intransigence, Spanish political chaos, Italian banking meltdown…and what to do about Turkey.

Has the EU’s head finally spun away from its sedentary, decaying body? Possibly. But ever-present in the “development” of Europe is the NATO/Washington factor. The actions of the Eunatics these days are, entirely predictably, a less than judicious mélange of desperation and obsequity….think unsocialised, chained poodles with generalised anxiety syndrome, and you’ll be pretty close.

Recep Erdogan’s presidential aide let slip a Freudian hint when he told the media yesterday that the country and its economy would “stabilise further when a prime minister more closely aligned with President Erdogan takes office”. Erdogan’s ruthless search for government by himself and close cronies continues….as I’ve been saying for five years it would. But strengthening his hand every inch of the way have been the EC in general, and a bungling Mutti Merkel.

Before the last elections, he rattled a sabre – and the Brussels idiots showered him with utterly undeserved praise.

Seeing an easy way to rattle the EU’s cage over migrants from Syria and Iraq, he pushed more numbers across the mediterranean, demanded money to take them back – and Merkel ensured he got it.

But then he wanted more: freer movement for Turks in the EU – effectively, joining the EU without any of the costs – and Merkel gave it to him…despite Erdogan reneging on nearly a third of the conditions set down by the Sprouts. When a German comedian was rude about him, he demanded (and got) a prosecution. So much for European Free Speech.

Now, strengthened again – and with no need for further pretence of democracy – his Prime Minister has been pushed out. All we need now is a fire in the Turkish Assembly, and Erdogan will have the full set. If it threatens, blackmails, reneges, garners interior power and loathes the Jews like a Nazi, chances are it’s a Nazi.

So: has Brussels-am-Berlin gone mad? No, it is just doing as it’s told.

One key player in the master/servant relationship involved is Italian airhead Federica Mogherini. Her astonishingly high profile at the signing of the Iran deal earlier this year showed once and for all what she is: NATO (aka Washington’s) point-man on the project to ensure the EU is joined at the hip to US geopolitical ambitions in Europe and the Middle East. And when it comes to the Great God oyuurrlll, the State Department desperately needs Recep Erdogan inside the tent….regardless of the direction in which he chooses to urinate at any given time.

These moves by the Turkish dictator are not the precursor to Turkey’s entry into the EU: Erdogan doesn’t want to be just one Islamist among 28 infidels: he wants to be the Caliphate that went down in history as destroying Christian Europe. Yes, it sounds Down the Rabbit-Hole…but then Erdo the Mad is a lot deeper down in the warren than most.

But there is one weak card in the President’s hand: the Turkish economy. Turkish banks have seen a huge rise in bad debts and bankruptcies, and GDP growth is expected to slow, the World Bank says now. Real and imagined bomb attacks in Ankara have seen a drop in tourist bookings, and the Kurdish South East of Turkey remains an unsafe area.

If he wishes to remain under the American eagle’s wing, then the sensible tactic for Erdogan would be ‘cool it for a while and focus on the economy’. I doubt if he will: first, he is not in the job to make Turkey materially rich on the Infidel’s terms….he wants respect and power among the Islamic community of nations; second, he is dead in the water if the focus turns to the economy, because the country’s debt is almost entirely foreign-owned – and has been ballooning out of control in recent years. Turkey is as close to being drowned by debt as any country in the world beyond Greece and Puerto Rica. The truth is, Erdogan doesn’t know the first thing about sound economic management.

My guess is that Recep Erdogan will continue on his strategy of destabilising Greece, and supplying those dedicated to the destruction of Israel via Sunni military action. He is closely allied in that aim to the Saudis….and that is going to give Britain’s unethical arms policy yet another thing to think about in the years to come.

Right now, what Erdogan needs is a war to regenerate his GDP. Some say he is a mere poodle of the Americans; I say that, as long as he is a major part of oil deliverability to the West via Qatar, he is nobody’s poodle. The only poodle on the block so far in 2016 has been Angela Merkel.

Sooner rather than later, Berlin is going to have to decide which way its Politik will face: West or East. Two days ago, a national survey showed that fully 62% of Germans are opposed to the Turkey visa-free scheme, with only 33% relaxed about it.

Like it or not, the Erdogan blackmail was only made possible by US foreign policy in relation to Syria, which created the immigrant Tsunami in the first place. Further, in the 36 hours since the ludicrous ‘fines’ policy was made public, Poland’s foreign minister has asked sarcastically if it is “a serious proposal”, Hungary has called it “blackmail” and “unacceptable”, the Czech Republic said it was “an unpleasant surprise” as it returned to a concept of mandatory quotas, and the Slovak interior minister dismissed the proposal as “unreality”.

The EU is a mess of its own making fiscally and economically, where members have frequently ignored the rules; specifically, the euro was in both conception and final form a disaster from which there is no escape.

But it is just possible that, with belligerent insistence, a German run Fiskalunion could make it to the other side….wherever that may be. However, add the geopolitical US energy obsession to that maelstrom, and the EU is doomed.

The time may well be approaching when – if American global hegemony falters – Europe’s leaders will have to decide whether to extend Europe to include another nation called Russia.

In Spain It is illegal to photograph or film the police or even publish criticism of any sort against the police.
Criticise the police on twitter or your personal Facebook page at your own risk. People in Spain have been arrested and fined for doing just that.
There is no free speech in the EU.

“My guess is that Recep Erdogan will continue on his strategy of destabilising Greece, and supplying those dedicated to the destruction of Israel via Sunni military action. He is closely allied in that aim to the Saudis….”

And yet it is precisely Israel that gains from a destabilised Syria. Drilling illegally for the copious oil and water in the Golan while Assad battles the very Wahabbist mercenaries that both Recep and Netanyahu support. Despite being such radical Sunnis and apparently ‘dedicated to the destruction of Israel’, ISIS, (or indeed any of the Syrian ‘opposition’) have yet to launch a single attack on Israel. ISIS would appear to be a creature of the U.S. State Department and Israel, (if these can be distinguished), with the funding of Qatar and Saudi. It seems to be supplied mainly by Turkey, Qatar and the Saudis, but Israel even treats ISIS fighters in its own hospitals, and before Russian intervention, Israel was bombing Syrian government installations with impunity. It is not so long ago that the Fars news agency carried this story.

Who was it who said the best way to control the opposition was to lead it?

Finally, rumour has it that much of the oil stolen from Iraqi and Syrian oilfields by the ISIS headchoppers found its way, (via Erdogan’s son) to the refineries of Israel. This above would suggest that the ‘destruction of Israel’ aspect of the ISIS terrorists is suspect.

Very good post and agrees with my thinking. Croatia is another Turkey poodle, as if we didn’t have enough of the Ottoman Empire, in fact, we still use turkish words in our vocabulary and have adopted some turkish traditions and foods. Our President Miss. Nato Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic wasted no time in increasing military spending, ordering new helicopters and last week inviting Ergodan for a cup of coffee. The world is insane, when insanity hits, hide for cover if you can find any.

Might not be exactly Washinton’s poodle but, let’s not forget the old US adage, ‘You’re either with us, or against us’.
I wouldn’t fancy Erdogan’s chances if Washington were to conclude that, Turkey wasn’t ‘fully co-operative’.

In the terrible history of united Germany, disasters have always followed the policy you are suggesting for Mrs Merkel when you declare, “Sooner rather than later, Berlin is going to have to decide which way its Politik will face: West or East.” Germany needs to behave so that it can face amicably both East and West, following the example of both Willy Brandt, Kniefall von Warschau in 1970, and Konrad Adenauer, gastarbeiter agreement signed with Turkey in 1961. Even Bismarck wore an iron ring on his finger inscribed with the Russian word “nitchevo” [nothing to worry about]. He told the Berlin correspondent of a Russian newspaper in 1886: “My good Germans reprove me with too much indulgence towards Russia. But they must reflect that I alone in all Germany am accustomed to say ‘Nitschevo’ at critical moments, while in Russia there are hundreds of men who, at the same moment, murmur the same word.” Please remember that nationalism kills.

Andrew, good point. Bismarck famously maintained a policy of good relations and a neutral even-handed diplomacy facing east and facing west. He was much criticized for this yet this remains the only intelligent strategy for Germany geo-politically.

The EU, or not the EU; whether tis nobler ………… The Scots were faced with a similar question as we are now, they came down on the side of the status quo and remained in the UK. It seems to me that all politicians and all bureaucrats are the same. Leave the EU and we have our politicians and our bureaucrats, stay in the EU and we have EU politicians and EU bureaucrats. So, the real question is, do we want to be isolationist or international? I think we should be international, therefore we should vote to stay in the EU and attempt reform.

I suppose one of the next fall back options is for the EU & Mutti crew, is to stand back as Turkey moves Westward, Some scorched earth style & self serving Détente may well stop a right turn into the Balkans from there? Anybody know of a book on how to develop a constructive pragmatic approach, preferably in German?

Sponsor a tyrant & retreat an Ocean away, would seem a proven option. As long as you mind your backs.

A “reactive” vipers nest of near messianic personality traits, ideology & Religiously intoned fervour, set against a global financial collapse. Where’s Ladbrooks when you need them?

I wouldn’t, couldn’t speculate on this at the moment, but it looks messy. Wonder if “The impaler” is smiling today? There are lots of scores to settle here for those who believe in injured pride.

Is there going to be anything left to leave? Time to watch read & learn, for me.

Senior Czech politicians are referring to the latest solidarity plan by the EC as a ‘Munich Diktat’. Even the EU friendly Socialists are not even trying to ‘explain’ the latest lunatic outpourings from Brussels. I just can’t wait to hear the local reaction to Juncker’s latest pearl of wisdom that certain countries are full-time europeans when taking but only part-time europeans when having to give.
It is clear that Merkel has painted herself into a corner and is getting more desperate thereby driving her stooges into crazier utterances and actions. It would be a supreme irony if Merkel’s desperate attempts to survive politically in Germany leads to a break-up of the EU.

I don’t see Russia wanting to join the EU as is. They have an exceptionalism every bit as strong as the British. They have made it quite clear to both Napoleon AND Hitler that conquering Russia is not on the table and I remain to be convinced that any Russian President or Prime Minister would ever accept orders from a Pole, a Ukrainian or the like (even if they were provocatively installed as EU President for just such a purpose).

As the EU pushed Russia toward Beijing, courtesy of their obsequious obedience to Washington’s ‘crush Russian Independence’ obsession, one tends to suspect that, if they go grovelling to Moscow in future, they will told to get on their knees and suck and the price for agreeing to do so might be quite high.

Russia is very unhappy with Europe over three things:
1. Helping to organise the CIA-driven coup in Ukraine.
2. Bowing to Washington’s demands for a trade blockade with Russia, despite the economic harm caused not to the USA but to Europe by so doing.
3. Turning a blind eye to the USA installing puppets in numerous of the Stan republics in return for having US bases very close to the Russian borders.

Here are a few concessions old Vladi might demand if the EU came begging on its knees:

1. Prevention of Ukraine joining the EU until such time as its economy is worthy of so doing and certainly not giving free visa access to 30 million Ukrainians for no better reason that US fantasists point guns at European leaders who refuse to go along with their nonsense.
2. Immediate cessation of its sycophancy to Recep Erdogan’s Turkey in economic, military and geostrategic terms.
3. Immediate admission of the lying nonsense of ‘carbon dioxide-driven global warming’ and admission of the more realistic science, often put forward by Russians, as to why climate varies as it has done since time immemorial.

That would of course end the political careers of many EU poodles and no small number of nation-state politicos, but there is nothing to worry about for Joe Bloggs in that.

The reason we’re in this mess is because of the US hegemony against Russia and the BRICS nations, they don’t want to use US $ dollar for trading and have been excluded from the TPP-TTIP agreements. US invaded Ukraine, 1, to stop them joining Russia in BRICS. 2. To drive a wedge between Germany and Russia. So Russia joining EU isn’t on the cards, the EU will most likely collapse along with the Dollar & Euro, leaving the BRICS with ‘gold’ backed currency the winners.
Remember, there wouldn’t be any ‘Refugees’ if the US didn’t push for world domination, Assad, along with Saddam, Gaddafi and a growing number of nations refused to bow down to Washington dictatorship.

@David…. the real question is.. do we want to deal with our politicians (over whom we have a little say)… or the politicians of countless other countries, that number far more than our own and over whom we have zilch say. That is to say we continue the fight with our politicians or surrender and give up our democracy and our country…

[Off Topic] It would seem that the powers in charge of naming the new Polar research vessel have renaged on their assurance that the public could choose a name for it. When other commenters suggest “do we want to deal with our politicians (over whom we have a little say)” – shouldn’t that read “over whom we have no say”???

The bored bureaucrats couldn’t take the (admittedly rather silly) name of “Boaty Mc Boatface” because Britain is still internationally renowned, thanks to its ability to hit people over the head or bomb them into agreement, following the lead of their so-called “friends” in various States in the USA. Therefore, to retain a semblance of boringness and prestige, the ship will be called “RRS Sir David Attenborough”.

Germany is planning to deploy troops to Lithuania to contain the Russians. Only 31 percent of the German public supports the move. I don’t think that the Russians have much to worry about recent war games were cut short because of overtime limits on the German troops.After President Trump pulls the plug on NATO the EU will look to Russia to protect them from the Islamist’s.

@Avocado
“So much for European Free Speech”
In Spain It is illegal to photograph or film the police or even publish criticism of any sort against the police.
Criticise the police on twitter or your personal Facebook page at your own risk. People in Spain have been arrested and fined for doing just that.
There is no free speech in the EU.

Give it a year or two, and the vast flow of weapons through turkey into the eu will make twitter and facebook impotent.
If you get my drift..?

It was two ago years ago I think that Pepe Escobar said that Erdogan wanted to reestablish the caliphate but that idea was so foreign to me I dismissed it at first. Then it started to make sense. Make sense in terms of what our Great Global Strategic Thinkers were thinking in turning towards Turkey. That would be first, as it is always first, kicking Russia. Then choosing a new partner in the region to replace the Saudis.

That said I had not considered that Erdogan might be thinking of invading Europe, in a way, with refugees. I noted somewhere that the UN had started warning of the refugees flowing out of Syria was going to be a flood into Europe over two years ago. I nor anyone else heard about it at the time because, well you know the score. If the powers in the Beltway don’t tell reporters about something then it doesn’t get reported. We of the Slog sort of sentiments often catch what others don’t or won’t but I anyway missed a lot of this Turkey stuff.

Maybe our GGST’s missed it too. Missed that their new buddy Erdogan might be a great ally against Russia, he did shoot down that plane, but they missed he was planning to help scuttle the EU. We can be sure Obama missed it all. He knows what they tell him to know, just like the press and the commentariat.

Then again maybe Erdogan isn’t the genius who is planning to reestablish the caliphate and destroy Europe too. He is just sort of stumbling in those directions.